Best way to set up Excel customer list?

[Pianotech]

Hi all, I'm new to Excel, having used MS Works for a customer list/database
for many years. I'm trying to decide whether it would be best to have:

1. A single Excel workbook with my entire customer list on one worksheet
or
2. Seperate workbooks for each month
or
3. A single workbook with worksheets for each month.

My goal is to easily be able to select customers from a certain month and
export their contact information to direct mailers, etc, for promotional and
reminder mailings, etc.

Thanks for the advice..

--PT

 

[Don Guillett]

If you use the data>filter>autofilter then there is probably no reason not
to have all on ONE sheet.
Have a column for date, customer, etc.

 

[Gord Dibben]

The key word is "easily".

I would put all on a single worksheet in a single workbook and make use of
Excel's filtering functions.

Or all on one sheet and create a Pivot Table.


Gord Dibben MS Excel MVP

 

[Pianotech]

Don and Gord, thank you both for the advice. That's the way I was leaning,
but figured I'd run it past people who were more experienced at it.

Thanks again!

 

[Ed Ferrero]

You have already been given very good advice, and you might look at the
Excel database tutorial here;
http://edferrero.com/ExcelTutorials/ExcelDatabaseTutorialPart1/tabid/90/Default.aspx

Ed Ferrero

 

[Bill R]

Hi all, I'm new to Excel, having used MS Works for a customer
list/database
for many years. I'm trying to decide whether it would be best to have:

1. A single Excel workbook with my entire customer list on one worksheet
or
2. Seperate workbooks for each month
or
3. A single workbook with worksheets for each month.

My goal is to easily be able to select customers from a certain month and
export their contact information to direct mailers, etc, for promotional
and
reminder mailings, etc.

Thanks for the advice..

--PT

In general it would be best to have a single Excel workbook for your entire
customer list. The reasons? If you change the format / structure of the
workbook (and you are most likely to need to as your business evolves)
everything will be changed instead of applying fixes / changes to individual
workbooks. This especially applies to formulae which may, otherwise, be
referenced to an incorrect cell.

There are two ways (and probably more) of extracting information. The
simple way is to sort the workbook so as to bring all data to be extracted
together. Another is to use data filtering. You could, then use a data
merge to automatically import the data into a word file. Some while ago I
perfected this by using a macro to export data directly from the workbook
into a word file of the outgoing letter. (Just set it going, sit back and
have a cup of tea whilst the letters were prepared.) If you have a lot to
do (or even a small number each and every month) it may be worth looking
into this. (I can't help you with this as it was too long a go.)

Another tip is to ensure you have a robust backing up regime. Have a look
at my web site www.1001solutions.co.uk for more information.

Bill Ridgeway